Blower wheel



April 12, 1960 ZARQ 2,932,446

BLOWER WHEEL Filed Jan. 9, 1958 INVENTOR. Lou/s ZARO BY M M, 55%

P Arramvsxs United States Patent BLOWER WHEEL Louis Zaro, ClevelandHeights, Ohio, assignor to Morrison Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application January9, 1958, Serial No. 707,981

3 Claims. (Cl. 230-134) The present invention relates to blowers, .fansand the like of the centrifugal type and :moreparticularly, the presentinvention relates to a new and simplified :blower wheel constructionhaving important advantages over the prior art.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide ablower Wheel requiring a minimum'number of parts which are of asimplified configuration and wherein the assembly of the wheel iseffected without the use of the customary fastening means, and-withoutneed for expensive welding equipment nor the time=consum ingprocedure of forming individual welds between the pairs of blades.

Another object of the present invention is to :provide a simplifiedsheet metal joint for a blower wheel comprising a spider connected to abladed annulus, which joint is devoid of any welded, brazed, or solderedconnection and/or sheet metal fasteners such as screws,

bolts, rivets, clips, or the like.

A further object of the present invention is to .provide a novel andsimplified blower wheel construction comprising a bladed annulus and aspider and wherein the annulus and spider are connected by a crimped orlocked engagement between cooperating portions thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel blowerwheel comprising an end spider and a bladed annulus and wherein thespider includes a channel-shaped rim having an end ring of the .annuluslocked therein by a crimped engagement of portions of the rimthereagainst.

Yet another object is to provide such a novel blower wheel constructionin which the end ring of the bladed annulus is corrugated and whereinthe crimped engagement of the rim of the spider therewith is atannularly spaced points corresponding with recesses .of thecorrugations.

Another object of the present invention resides in a strong, resilientlylocked construction for securing the corrugated blower wheel end ringsfomed by gathers between blades thereof to spider Wheels devoid of .any

individual welds around the end rings of the reel between bladesthereof.

The invention further resides in certain novel features of construction,and combinations and arrangements of parts, and further'objects andadvantages thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art to whichit pertains from the following description of the present preferredembodiment thereof described with reference to the accompanying drawingsin which similar reference characters represent corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a sheet metal blower wheel embodying oneform of the new and novel construction which is a part of the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view with certain parts of Fig. 1 brokenaway, taken along a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of theblower wheel between the ends thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view-of the new and .novel joint of theillustrative embodiment taken along section-line 3-3 in Figure .2;

Fig. 4 is zanothertsectional view of the construction-of the joint takenalong section :line 4-4 inFigure 2; and

Fig. 5 is essentially an elevational end view -of the joints shown invFigures 3 and 4.

Before explaining in detail :a preferred embodiment of "the presentinvention it is to be understood .thatthe invention is not limited inits application 'to the details of construction and arrangement of partsillustrated "in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is :ca-

,pable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out invarious ways. his to be understood "also that the phraseology orterminology employedthereiniis ence numeral '10 comprises :an annularreel 'or bladed annulus 1-1 in assembly with a mounting means, 'in:thiscase, a-pair of wheel-likeparts or :spiders 12 at either end thereof for:mounting the assembled blower wheel on a drive shaft, not :shown.

.The reel 11 consists :of :a stamped sheet metal istrip whioh'has beenpartiallyxsheared and deflected to form thereon a plurality 'ofgenerally parallel blades 13 of c'onvex concave CIOSSSEOii'OIlfll shapeso that air is forced outwardly upon the rotation "of the reel. Each ofthe blades 13 is connected at eachend thereof :by means :of a stem 14 toa substantially annularly extending striptor end ring 15. The blades13-ar.e spaced closely together by forming gathers 16in the strips 15between the pairs of blades.

Thegathers are-of a channel-shaped or U-shaped construction having sides"17 extending in the same general direction as the axis of rotation ofthe reel 11. :As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, each of slanted portions 18 ofthe ring 15 which extend between-and connect the gathers 'ing theoffsets or gathers 16 therein in alternating'relation to the interveningconnecting portions '18. A desired pitch for each of the convex-concavesheet metal blades 13 is formed in the process of manufacture bytwisting the connecting stems M et the blades 13 to a suitable extent.

The corrugated strip or end ring '15'is preferably *not cylindricallydisposed with respect to the rotation axis of the blower wheel 10'but,for reasons which wiil become more apparent as the description developsand as best seen in Figures 3 and 4, is tilted or inclined 'sothat thegenerally flat portions 18 of this strip are inclined towards the blades13 and'relative to a transverse plane extending perpendicularly to therotation axis of the blower wheel. The inclination of the end ring 15"can be any suitable amount, for example five orten degrees or more, andis such that the outer annular edge or corner 20 is relatively closer'to'the'ends of the blades 13 than the *inner annularedge or corner 21.

Each of the spiders 12is preferably 'of a sheet metal construction andhas a plurality ofra'di-al arms, in this case three such "arms 22,connecting a suitab1e'hub 23 with an outer rim or peripheral edge 24.The rim 24 is of a channel-shaped or U-shaped cross section 'an'd has anannularchannel recess 25 therein. The' hub ZB is provided with a setscrew 26 for locking the hub onto nected to the radial arms 22 by anannular connecting leg or flange 28. The, radial portion 27 forms thebottom Wall of the channel recess 25 and the flange 28 forms one of theside walls of the channel recess 25.

A second annular leg or flange 30 forms the other leg or side of thechannel-shaped recess 25 and has a sealloped or corrugated appearancefor reasons which will be brought out. 7

The end ring 15 is disposed in the channel recess 25 of the spider rim24 and, in accordance with the present invention, is retained and lockedtherein by deflected or crimped portions 30;: and 30b of the outerannular flange 30 of the rim. The flange portions 30a and 3017 aredeflected or crimped different amounts, as will be further explainedhereinafter, and because of the presence of these deflected portionstherein, the flange 30 is of the corrugated shape or scalloped characterreferred to hereinabove.

The position of the end ring 15 in the channel recess 25 is with theflat connecting portions 18 of the ring adjacent to but not touching thebottom wall 27 of the recess and preferably inclined thereto by theamount of the angular inclination of the end ring 15 which is mentionedabove. The end ring 15 is also disposed with the annular edge or heelportion 21 thereof engaged against the side wall 28, as shown in Figs. 3and 4, and which engagement forms a fulcrum means for the end ring.

Portions 30a of each of flanges 30 are crimped so as to be inclinedinwardly for tightly engaging and at least partially enclosing the outeredges of parallel sides 17 of each of the gathers 16 for deflecting thesame counterclockwise, Figs. 3 and 4, about fulcrum edge 21.Intermediately each of the gathers 16, the flange portions 30b arecrimped or deflected axially and radially down wardly and inwardlytowards flat radial base portion 27 in a clockwise direction aboutfulcrum edge 21 so as to tightly engage edges 20 of strips 15 andgenerally tend to cause a slight deflection thereof in a directionaxially outwardly of the reel 12 towards the base 27 of rim 24. Thus,the more tightly the crimped or scalloped portions 3% engage the outeredges 20 of the periphery of each of strip portions '18, the more thegenerally annular strip 15 is caused to be deflected toward the baseportion 27 of spider 12 for forming. a locked connection. Incontradistinction thereto, the tightly crimped portions 30a serve toprevent the deflection of flat portions 18 by biasing or twistinggathers 16in an opposite direction. As a result, not only is each strip15 biased against the annular connecting flanges 28 of n'ms 24, but thestrips 15 are interlocked with the scalloped flanges 30 for assuringlocked connections of the spiders 12 with the reel 11. The lockedconnection is a type which is stressed for preventing relative movementbetween the spiders and the reel.

In accordance with the description of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention developed, the end rings 15 of the reel 11 aresecurely clamped to the rims 24 of the spiders 12. The twisting ortorsional stressing of end strips 15 and the tensioning of each of theheel portions 21 defined by a connecting stem 14 and an annular strip 15under the action of the inclined walls 28, radial portions 27, andcrimped and locked portions 30 is so efiective that no relative movementcan take place between the spiders 12 and reel ll.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the assembled reel orblower is of a very simplified construction which is rigid throughoutwith very little opportunity for the reel 11 to become loose relative tothe spiders 12, due to the tensioning and locking arrangementhereinabove set forth. An additional advantage of the presentconstruction is that no fastening devices such as bolts, screws, etc.,or welding, brazing, or soldering, and more especially, no individualwelds between the pairs of blades at numerous points around the endrings are needed in the present invention. Consequently, the presentinvention, of which a preferred embodiment has been herein abovedescribed, is of very simple construction, and, therefore, less costlyto manufacture, particularly due to the fact that welds between thepairs of blades at the end rings of the reel have been eliminated.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment in accordancewith my invention, it is understood that the same is susceptible of manychanges and modifications, as known to a person skilled in the art, andI intend to cover all such changes and modifications ernbraced by thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture of the kind described comprising, agenerally cylindrical first part having annularly spaced blades and aring portion connecting said blades, gathers formed at circumferentiallyspaced points in said ring portion, and a second part having a generallyannular channel-shaped rim, said ring portion being disposed in thechannel recess of said rim, said rim having crimped first portionsengaging said ring portion between said gathers and second crimpedportions engaging said gathers and holding said ring portion in lockedengagement in said rim, said first and second portions tending todisplace said ring portion in opposite directions.

2. An article of manufacture of the kind described comprising, a sheetmetal connection for rigidly securing a first annular sheet metal meanswith a second annular sheet metal means, said first annular meanscomprising a generally channel-shaped rim member, said second annularmeans comprising an annular corrugated strip disposed in saidchannel-shaped rim member, said strip having bottom portions connectingcorrugations thereof and inclined relative to a wall of saidchannelshaped member, the outer peripheral edge of said channel-shapedmember being inclined towards and in frictional engagement with theadjacent edge of said strip for the biasing thereof towards the base ofsaid channelshaped member.

3. In a blower comprising, a plurality of axially extending parallelblades defining a cylindrical reel, and hub wheels rigidly secured toeach end of said reel for mounting said reel upon a shaft means andproviding a support therefor, and annular strip means disposed at eachend of said reel and connecting said blades together in spaced apartrelationship, each of said hub wheels having an axially facingchannel-shaped annular rim for receiving said annular strip meanstherein with a portion thereof being inclined with respect to said rim,and the outer edge of said rim being directed inwardly and engaging andbiasing said inclined strip portion into said channel-shaped rim.

4. In a blower as set forth in claim 3, wherein said inclined annularstrip means is corrugated so as to form axially extending U-shapedgathers connected together by said inclined portions and said outer edgeof said rim alternately engages said gathers and said connectinginclined portions.

5. In a blower as set forth in claim 4, wherein said rim outer edge isscalloped in shape, and said rim outer edge engages the gathers of saidannular strip means in such manner as to prevent relative angulardisplacement therebetween.

6. An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 2, wherein said outerperipheral edge of said channel-shaped member is scalloped toalternately engage a corrugation and a connecting inclined bottomportion of said annular corrugated strip.

7. In a blower wheel of the character described a plurality of parallelblades disposed about a central axis and defining a cylindrical reel;said blades having stems at the ends :thereof connected by integralannular ring means; and hub means having annular channel-shaped rimmeans connected to said ring means; said annular ring means comprising astrip having axially extending gathered portions and transverselyextending intermediate portions between said gathered portions; saidchannel-shaped rim having axially extending inner and outer walls and aconnecting bottom wall; said ring means being disposed in said rim withsaid intermediate portions contacting said bottom wall and inclined awaytherefrom; said gathered portions being restrained against radialmovement by said inner and outer walls; said outer wall having crirnpedportions extending between said gathered portions and in pressingengagement with said intermediate portions, whereby said ring means isretained in said rim means with said intermediate portions being instressed relation to said gathered portions.

8. In a blower Wheel of the character described a plurality of parallelblades disposed about an axis of rotation and defining a cylindricalreel; said blades being connected at the ends thereof by integralannular ring means; and hub wheels secured to said ring means formounting said reel upon a shaft in a supporting relationship forrotation about said axis; said annular ring means comprising stripshaving axially extending gathers between adjacent blade ends and havingintermediate portions between said gathers and extending transverse tosaid axis, said hub wheels each comprising an annular channelshaped rimhaving a bottom wall extending substantially normal to said axis andhaving inner and outer side walls extending from said bottom wall; saidstrips being disposed in said channel-shaped rims with said intermediateportions in contact with said bottom walls and inclined with respectthereto, said gathers being constrained against radial movement by saidside walls; portions of said outer side walls being crimped andextending between said gathers in pressing and deflecting engagementwith said inclined intermediate portions of said strips, whereby saidstrips are retained in said rims and are there held in stressedcondition by said crimpcd portions of said outer wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

